tonight, hurricane laura slams into the u.s. as a category 4 hurricane. the death toll growing tonight. the hurricane making landfall in louisiana in the middle of the night. winds 150 miles per hour. homes and buildings leveled. roofs torn apart. a skyscraper shredded. half a million customers now without power tonight and those who didn't evacuate are now calling for help. powerful winds derailing a mile-long train. and the new danger as the skies clear. hurricane laura causing a chemical plant fire. nearby residents told to shelter in place. meteorologist rob marciano, part or our team riding out the storm, he's standing by tonight with the latest track and where this storm will cause significant trouble next. there is also news tonight about the teenager who came from a neighboring state, now accused of firing into a crowd of demonstrators who had been protesting the police shooting

of jacob blake. the interview he gave moments before the chaos and that gunfire. two people were killed. and authorities tonight now revealing the name of the officer who shot jacob blake seven times in the back. the nba and news coming in from the nfl tonight, as well. just one day after nba players boycotted the playoff games over the jacob blake shooting, saying something must be done about these police shootings. playoffs suspended now for a second night. what's next for the nba and now the nfl? president trump's big night at the republican national convention. the president set to speak from the south lawn of the white house. a first during a political convention. he's expected to continue making the case that mike pence made last night, that america, they say, won't be safe under joe biden. and today, joe biden and kamala harris both before the cameras in separate appearances. biden saying this violence is happening under donald trump, not me. this is donald trump's america. the coronavirus hitting a

chilling milestone tonight. now more than 180,000 american lives lost. florida now topping 11,000 deaths. and tonight, after the sudden about-face from the cdc on testing, suddenly saying if you've been exposed to the virus but are asymptomatic, that you no longer need to get tested, what the head of the cdc is now saying tonight. the virus scare on a passenger plane. authorities in hazmat gear removing a passenger after learning he had just tested positive for coronavirus. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on yet another very busy night of news. and the images coming in tonight are just devastating. millions of americans suffering the effects of hurricane laura. the category 4 hurricane, just shy of a category 5. one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike that part of the country. the death toll growing tonight. the hurricane slamming ashore in the middle of the night. 150-mile-an-hour winds, making

landfall in cameron, louisiana. shredding this office tower, downing power lines. more than half a million customers are without power tonight. and of course, all of this playing out in the middle of this pandemic. falling trees responsible for several deaths. so many homes and buildings damaged or destroyed. this fire at a chemical plant in lake charles, louisiana, spewing toxic chemicals tonight. residents have been warned, stay home, to close windows. storm winds ripping a riverboat casino from its moorings, slamming it right into a bridge over interstate 10. meteorologist rob marciano was with our team riding out the storm in lake charles, louisiana, all night. he said he could feel the building swaying. and so rob leads us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight, laura driving inland after making landfall on the louisiana coast in the middle of the night. the storm packing 150-mile-per-hour winds, just shy of category 5 hurricane strength. >> this is the ridge of the eye wall, you can see how visibility is going to zero now.

flying debris happening. >> reporter: 1:30 in the morning, power just went out here in lake charles. the wind is buffeting our hotel. you can feel the building swaying. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: this skyscraper shredded by winds gusting above 100 miles per hour for nearly an hour straight. and outside our hotel -- a lot of glass, a lot of tile. right now, a lot of wind. by 4:30, the backside of laura was upon us. there's some sheet metal. obviously, we're not going to go stand out in that. but this is an amazing view of just how ferocious these winds are here on the backside of this storm. >> 120. >> reporter: kyle ricks riding it out inside a tow boat. you can hear the wind howling. those whipping winds flipping this rv. west of lake charles, rescuers cutting a hole in the side of another overturned trailer, saving a man and his dog trapped inside. daylight revealing catastrophic destruction.

the amount of damage around lake charles is just incredible, some of the winds from hurricane laura took upper floors of this hotel and ripped it to shreds. roofs ripped clean off buildings. trees snapped like twigs. this communications tower mangled. a mile-long freight train derailed. a fire breaking out at this chemical plant west of lake charles. chlorine gas and smoke billowing in the air. residents warned to shelter in place. across the state, at least six people now confirmed dead. but with many areas hard for rescuers to reach, the full casualty count remains to be seen. in texas, an army of first responders heading towards the heart of the storm zone. governor abbott touring destruction east of beaumont. >> when you consider the magnitude of the damage that could have occurred here, we did dodge a bullet. >> reporter: bac daughter, carlissa. >> it was a roller coaster. >> reporter: terrifying? >> terrifying. >> reporter: thankful to be alive.

their home, severely damaged. luckily, they were staying next door. >> when they say, mandatory evacuation, get out while you can -- listen. >> listen. >> get out. because this happens. >> such an important warning. we're glad they're okay. rob joins us live from lake charles, louisiana, tonight. and rob, i know the mayor said it was like a bomb went off there and we can see just the incredible damage all around you. >> reporter: yeah, it's everywhere, david. and that's an accurate description, it looks like a bomb went off. and i can tell you this, in all my years, i've never seen hurricane damage like this, cut through a city. it is like a tornado cut through here. this behind me, this is one of the many cell towers that came crashing down during the storm, across this office building, across this restaurant. there are hundreds of utility poles and power lines that are cut across the city. they'll be out of power for weeks. no doubt about that. and this scene is repeated block after block, neighborhood after neighborhood, across the city of lake charles. my goodness, it's going to be something to recover from. it will take years. all right, the low of laura now over little rock. so, we are not done with this

storm yet. it is weakening, but it is bringing with it a lot of punch and a lot of rain and even a tornado watch in parts of mississippi. so, this continues to spin out tonight. gets over memphis. it will get picked up into the jet scream. we'll see heavy rains in this area. maybe more moisture coming out of the gulf of mexico and that may bring more rain to the area trying to recover. so, this is not what we need tomorrow as far as the forecast is concerned. nor do we need this. just now getting into the peak of hurricane season and we've got two more systems in the atlantic to watch. hopefully, david, those two will cut us a break. david? >> yeah, we really don't like seeing that. but we do thank you, rob, and all of our crews throughout the region during this storm. thank you, rob. glad you're okay. we're going to move on to several other major stories unfolding this evening. the police shooting of jacob blake in kenosha, wisconsin. authorities tonight have now revealed the name of the officer and new details about what they say they found at the scene. we're also learning more tonight about the 17-year-old from a neighboring state now accused of opening fire on protesters. two were killed. tonight, what he said in an interview just moments before the shooting started.

abc's alex perez in kenosha again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, new details on the teenager investigators say showed up in kenosha armed with a rifle and allegedly opened fire on demonstrators protesting the police shooting of jacob blake. authorities arrested 17-year-old kyle rittenhouse in nearby illinois for his alleged role in tuesday's shooting that left two dead and one injured. police identified him as the man seen in this social media video during protests that night. >> so, nonlethal, but you guys respond? >> we don't have nonlethal. >> so you guys are full-on ready to defend the property? >> yes, we are. >> reporter: this graphic video capturing the chaos. a crowd appears to be chasing the armed man when he falls to the ground and starts firing. as police approach the scene, rittenhouse can be seen with his hands up, but he's never taken into custody. >> when someone -- i've been in a shooting before -- in situations that are high stress, you have such an incredible tunnel vision.

>> reporter: but some raising questions about that moment in light of jacob blake's shooting and insensitive comments made by the kenosha sheriff in 2018, after five black people were arrested after allegedly stealing and causing a collision. the sheriff saying, "there are some people that aren't worth saving." he later apologized. late today, kenosha police saying they arrested nine people for alleged disorderly conduct after apprehending three vehicles with out of state plates that were filled with gas masks, illegal fireworks and suspected controlled substances. authorities also releasing new information in the shooting sunday of 29-year-old jacob blake. authorities now identifying the officer seen in that disturbing video as rusten sheskey. when blake appears to lean into the driver's side, sheskey pulls his shirt and unloads seven bullets in his back. authorities say they were called because a woman claimed her boyfriend, who wasn't supposed to be there, was on the premises. authorities have not said blake was that person.

investigators also say blake told the officers he had a knife. authorities say that knife was found on the floor inside his car. a federal civil rights investigation has now been opened into blake's shooting, which is still under investigation. >> so, let's get to alex perez, with us tonight. and alex, this teenager now accused is set to appear in court tomorrow for an extradition hearing? >> reporter: well, david, we just learned the 17-year-old has been officially charged with two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide. that extradition hearing to bring him from illinois back here to wisconsin is set for tomorrow morning. david? >> alex, thank you again tonight. we have also learned the nba playoff games are off again this evening. and news coming in from the nfl, as well. all of this 24 hours after nba players boycotted the playoff games, saying something needs to be done about police shootings in america. tonight, president trump and joe biden are both weighing in, with very different views on this. here's adrienne bankert., f predted acti as plays

the nba now vows playoff games will go on, though postponed by a collective boycott following the shooting of jacob blake. the season initially appeared to be in jeopardy, as star lebron james demanded to cancel all remaining games. he says this fight is personal. >> having two boys of my own and me being an african-american in america and to see what continues to happen with police brutality towards my kind, it's very troubling. >> reporter: major league baseball and the wnba postponing games. the nhl pausing their playoffs. nfl teams canceling practice. >> we haven't seen this before in our lifetime. we've seen folks protesting, we've seen folks raising holy hell and justifiably so, but we haven't seen players walk away from performing their job duties as professional athletes. we haven't seen that. >> reporter: when asked, the president said he believes people are, quote, "a little

tired of the nba." >> but i know their ratings have been very bad and that's unfortunate. they've become like a political organization. and that's not a good thing. i don't think that's a good thing for sports or for the country. >> reporter: vice president joe biden calling the administration's words divisive. >> what trump won't acknowledge is that a lot of these men and women have had brothers, sisters, husbands, wives who have been victimized, just because of their color. >> reporter: and david, talks will continue between nba players and owners on that path forward. meantime, new tonight, the nfl players and its owners are saying they will continue to fight racial injustice and move forward with a path to eradicate it. david? >> adrienne bankert reporting again tonight. adrienne, thank you. and tonight, facing multiple crises, the hurricane, the police shooting in kenosha and, of course, the pandemic, president trump will make his case for re-election on the final night of the republican national convention. it comes after vice president pence last night saying president trump will bring law

and order to america. joe biden responding today on camera, telling americans, this is donald trump's america. here's our chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: as president trump prepares to take stage at a white house transformed for the republican convention, he is facing three crises. hurricane laura battering the gulf coast. a pandemic that has now killed 180,000 americans. and violence in wisconsin following the police shooting of jacob blake. against that backdrop, the president is making law and order the central message of his re-election campaign. >> we will put out the fire, we will put out the flame, we will put out the vandalism, because the vandalism and the looting is ridiculous to allow this to happen. >> reporter: but the president today ignored questions about jacob blake. >> mike pence. >> reporter: blake's name was not mentioned a single time by vice president pence when he

echoed the law and order theme at the republican convention. >> we will have law and order on the streets of this country for every american of every race and creed and color. the hard truth is, you won't be safe in joe biden's america. >> reporter: biden, who had been laying low during the convention, emerged on cable tv to hit back. >> the problem we have right now is, we're in donald trump's america. and what's he doing? he's kept pouring gasoline on the fire. this happens to be donald trump's america. donald trump's america. >> reporter: he cited a comment this morning from trump adviser kellyanne conway. >> the more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who is best on public safety and law and order. >> he views this as a political benefit to him. you know, he's rooting for more violence, not less. and it's clear about that. >> reporter: later, biden's running mate, kamala harris, made it clear the biden/harris ticket is not defending violence

on the streets. >> we must always defend peaceful protests and peaceful protesters. we should not confuse them with those looting and committing acts of violence. >> so, let's get right to jon karl tonight, because this is going to be a major issue in this election. and you know robin roberts and i pressed both joe biden and kamala harris on this case that president trump will make, that he's the law and order candidate, and it was clear today, joe biden trying to answer the president before he even speaks tonight, saying this is donald trump's america. >> reporter: biden is saying, essentially, the violence you are seeing now, the unrest you are seeing now, is happening on donald trump's watch. the buck ultimately stops with the president. but when the president takes the stage here tonight, right here at the white house, he will hit that law and order message hard. he will say it is the fault of democrats, democratic mayors, democratic governors and it will get a lot worse if joe biden becomes president. >> and as you point out, the convention coming to the south

lawn of the white house there, right behind you, jon. we'll see you shortly. i hope you'll join george, linsey and me, the entire political team later tonight, 7:00 p.m. abc news live, 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on the network. the news continues tonight, and to the coronavirus. a grim new milestone this evening. more than 180,000 american lives now lost. more than 1,000 americans dying each day over the last three days. in iowa, for one, a record number of new cases now, many of those cases young people. the governor closing all bars in counties in iowa until september 20th. and tonight, after that sudden and controversial change from the cdc, they said, if you've been exposed to the virus but are asymptomatic, you no longer need to get tested, well, what the head of the cdc is now saying tonight, clearly sensing the confusion out there and in some cases, outrage over that change. here's abc's steve osunsami at the cdc in atlanta. >> reporter: despite a world of criticism, health officials at the cdc are trying to clarify their new testing guidelines from three days ago, when they

quietly announced on their website that if you've been exposed but don't have symptoms, "you don't necessarily need a test" for covid-19 in most cases. this evening, the head of the cdc is responding to the fire and saying something slightly different, that now testing may be considered for all close contacts of confirmed or probable covid-19 patients. public health experts say it's enough to make your head spin. >> this shifting policy back and forth is undermining the credibility of the messages from the cdc and confusing people. >> reporter: several states that are finally seeing the good side of their covid numbers say they won't be listening to the cdc and will continue to order tests for anyone who is exposed, even if they have no symptoms. >> with respect to the cdc, no, that is not the policy guideline that we will embrace or adopt here in the state of california. >> reporter: in a joint statement tonight, the governors of new york, new jersey and connecticut say they're not following these guidelines either.

they accuse the administration of substituting "sound science-based public health guidance with the president's misinformation," and say that it's widespread testing that has helped them reduce infections. the president is accused of ordering these new guidelines as a means of bringing down the total count of covid-19 infections in time for election day, which the white house says is just not true. a white house official does say that there is a backlog of tests that need to be processed. these new guidelines would mean fewer tests, which they say helps solve that problem. david? >> all right, but bottom line tonight, the cdc saying even if you are asymptomatic and have been near people who have it, you can still get tested. so, just helping everyone out at home to try to cut through the confusion and we thank you, steve, again tonight. i know you're trying, too. when we come back on the broadcast tonight, the coronavirus scare on a passenger plane. authorities in hazmat gear, removing a passenger right after learning he had just tested positive. and the u.s. coast guard shooting at a shark to save swimmers.

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the coronavirus scare onboard a ryan air flight overseas. the plane about to take off from london to italy. authorities in hazmat gear boarding to remove a passenger and companion moments after a text message revealed that passenger tested positive. the airline says everyone onboard was wearing masks. when we come back, the coast guard shooting at that shark to protect swimmers. guard shooting at that shark to protect swimmers. get in its way. hpv can affect males and females... and there's no way to predict who will or won't clear the virus. but you can help protect your child by taking a first step. the cdc recommends hpv vaccination at age 11 or 12 to help protect against certain cancers. hey cancer! not... my... child. don't wait... talk to your child's doctor about hpv vaccination today.

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finally tonight here, texas strong, louisiana strong. tonight, there are already signs of resilience. maria ramirez and her 17-year-old son jose outside their home in orange, texas. their home badly damaged, but they are okay. and across this country tonight, help and donations are coming in. gladys guerra helping to collect water and other basic needs. communities across the south vowing to rebuild tonight. we hope you keep the help coming. we'll see you right here at 10:00 p.m. for the convention. good night.

leave their marks. this is about building a better bay area. more postponements throughout the sports world in reaction to the shooting in wisconsin. i'm larry beil we'll tell you what's happening with the nba, season on, season off, giants, a's and what do the players want next. >> we have guys who are not afraid to put themselves out there. >> where we are now we've been there before. going to be a tough time for everybody, but if this is what allows the change to actually occur, then it's okay. >> acceptance even amid shattered glass and shuttered businesses. oakland is scarred again by vandals during protests. good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm ama deatz. >> and i'm danly.

oakland police say a crowd of 600 gathered downtown yesterday evening. by the end of the night the department counted 21 smashed windows and as many as 30 fires. some people were arrested. the department did not say how many. the vandalism diverged from a protest over the kenosha police shooting of an unarmed black man, jacob blake. building a better bay area means working towards racial and social justice and not letting ourselves be distracted by property damage. some of those still cleaning up believe in the message of the protesters. >> reporter: more windows had to be broken in order to cleanup the windows that were broken during wednesday night's protest. >> no coffee this morning, unfortunately. our machines still work but it's a little hard to have customers coming in with all the broken glass. >> reporter: